The development of new treatments of infectious disease is a preeminent challenge of biomedical science due to the continued expansion of organisms resistant to existing therapies, the reemergence of infectious agents once thought vanquished, and the spread of infectious diseases lacking effective treatments. The present proposal seeks to establish a Center for Biomedical Research Excellence with a multidisciplinary theme of Chemical Biology of Infectious Disease. Chemical biology entails the discovery of chemical entities able to modulate pathways related to infectious processes and can lead to the identification of novel targets for chemical intervention. The proposed Center will strengthen infrastructure and enable scientists and biomedical research in the State of Kansas and be led by University Distinguished Professor Jeffrey Aube, an experienced researcher and scientific administrator. It will address the following specific aims: (1) Provide a world-class environment, appropriately administered and staffed, to provide researchers access to key techniques relevant to the chemical biology of infectious disease. (2) Support and enable junior faculty to build successful research programs through active mentorship, access to appropriate resources, and funding of meritorious programs. (3) Enhance infectious disease research throughout the regional scientific community by the recruitment of outstanding junior faculty, establishment of seminar series and other opportunities for scientific enrichment, and by providing core facility access to all interested researchers.